Volume One:
Sicily
From New York to Palermo, La Cosa Nostra surrenders its secrets in this incisive, illuminating program. Scholars reveal how Sicily's 2000-year history of foreign occupation created a culture of self-reliance, honor and distrust of authority that paved the way for the Mafia's emergence in the late 1800s, and Italian authorities detail the difficulties of prosecuting the group on its home turf.

Russia
Here is the complete story of the "Red Mafiya," from it's origins in the Czarist-era Thieves World to its ongoing infiltration of criminal rackets worldwide. Author Stephen Handleman (Comrade Criminal) reveals how leaders like Stalin and Brezhnev helped create this new breed of outlaw, while prison interviews with convicted gangsters provide an insider's view of their daring and ruthless operations.

Volume Two:
China
With origins that stretch back centuries, the notorious Triads are among the most secretive and successful of all criminal groups. See how their dangerous tradition is exported to new lands along with the human cargo that is their stock-in-trade.

India
In the 19th Century, the British waged a massive campaign to rid India of the Thugs, a confederacy of Kali-worshiping bandits. Today, Bombay's Chief of Police defends his hard-line policy against their modern heirs, who prey on the profits of the prolific "Bollywood" film industry.

Colombia
Descend into the world of Colombia's infamous cartels to discover how America's seemingly unquenchable desire for cocaine helped transform one of the most beautiful nations on earth into a haven of corruption and violence.